Modeling the plankton–fish dynamics with top predator interference and multiple gestation delays

Many prey organisms have developed defense mechanisms against predation. If the predator can encounter in a limited spatial domain, the feeding rates reflect interference between predators and the corresponding functional response depends on both predator and prey densities. In this manuscript, an attempt has been made to understand the role of top predator interference and gestation delays on the dynamics of a three-species food chain model involving intermediate and top predators population. Interaction between the prey and an intermediate predator follows the Monod–Haldane functional response, while that between the top predator and its prey depends on Beddington–DeAngelis-type functional response. Analytically, we study the essential mathematical features such as boundedness, stability and direction of bifurcating periodic solution around the coexisting equilibrium for the model system. Numerically, we study the Hopf and transcritical bifurcations scenarios with respect to inhibitory effect of phytoplankton against zooplankton and death rate of fish population for the non-delayed system. Further, we study the stability behavior of the delayed model system. Model system exhibits irregular behavior when the interference is high or gestation period is larger than its critical value. Further, the system shows extinction of predators with the increase in inhibitory effect. Stability domain plots with respect to different important system parameters for non-delayed system and delay parameters for delayed system give a significant impact to study the stability of the different equilibrium points and bifurcation scenarios of both non-delayed and delayed systems. Our results point out the complexity of three-way interactions between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish population in marine environment and highlight the role of predator interference and gestation delays in exhibiting the chaotic dynamics and extinction of predator population.